Bob Nicholson talks Chiarelli firing and the plan moving forward

After news broke last night that Peter Chiarelli was fired as GM and POHO, I was very interested to see what Bob Nicholson would have to say about the move only 10 months after sitting in that same room and selling Pete’s plan to the world. Needless to say, he had some explaining to do.

Less than a year after doubling down on Peter Chiarelli’s plan that’s led the Oilers into the bottom half of the league again, I was really curious to see how Bob Nicholson was going to navigate the waters… that he would later blame, but we’ll get to that. Not only did I want to know how he was going to explain what the hell is happening, but I also wanted to hear what the plan is going to be moving forward. But before we could move forward, we needed a debrief on what exactly happened with Peter Chiarelli and what finally pushed the organization over the edge.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

ON PETER CHIARELLI

As expected, the press conference started with Nicholson thanking Peter Chiarelli for his time with the organization and offering a brief explanation as to why this decision was made. No surprises here.

"I'd like to thank Peter Chiarelli for his time with the Oilers organization. We really felt that the way this team was trending that we needed to make this change" -Nicholson #Oilers

With the parting gifts and Hallmark cards out of the way, Nicholson got down to business, advising the gathered media that Keith Gretzky would be assuming many of the general manager jobs on an interim basis. Again, nothing here is overly surprising as many of us expected this to be the case, or at least guessed that it would be.

"Going forward today, Keith Gretzky will take on more of the general managers duties and I will take on hockey operations. My key duty is finding a general manager." -Nicholson #Oilers

Nicholson was later asked if this interim tag meant Gretzky had the authority to make trades on his own or if that meant a group effort until a new GM is found. Again, nothing overly surprising here but I promise you that it gets funnier.

"Keith is going to be the key point person for it but it will be a (group effort)" -Nicholson on Gretzky making trades #Oilers

Everyone still with me? Good. Because this is where things started to get a little bit weird. When asked for a timeline on the decision to remove Chiarelli from his post, Nicholson jumped around a little bit.

Oh, okay, so they must have just been waiting for the break to officially announce the move then, right? If the decision was made a few days ago then they must have surely let Peter know at that time.

"We did it after the second period. One, I thought it was right that Peter left the building in the way that he saw fit. The focus, for me, was to get in front of the staff and leadership group." -Nicholson on when he told Peter Chiarelli he was fired #Oilers

Wait, what? If the call to get rid of him was made a few days ago then why was he in the building up until the second period? What was he doing exactly? Packing his things? Grabbing as many office supplies as he could fit in his pockets? I don’t get it. I mean, I appreciate the humanity of letting the guy walk out on his own terms but I don’t really understand why they didn’t just rip the band-aid off when the decision was made? Wouldn’t it have been easier to tell him not to show up? That just seems weird to me. Meh, whatever.

But you just told us it was a few days ago? I’m confused here, Bob, and I’m starting to doubt that you know how calendars work. Regardless, I doubt we’ll ever get a straight answer on what exactly happened so we’ll just move on, shall we?

"Last night, I had the opportunity to meet with the leadership group. We have good leaders and we have good players on this team. I also met with the overall staff and the players. " -Nicholson #Oilers

Wouldn’t it have been great to be a fly on the wall in that meeting? How honest were the boys with their feelings on how things are going? What did Connor say? What did Nuge say? For a guy that’s only been in the league for seven years, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has seen more mayhem in his career than anyone else in the league and I would love to know what’s going on in his head as these things happen. Anyway…

"We have to find out answers for how we can make this team better to make the playoffs, but I have to emphasize that we're not giving up the future." -Nicholson #Oilers

Bob, finding out how to make the team better is a question we’ve been asking for more than a decade now and the fact that we’re not any closer to an answer is maddening. This is a team that has allowed its varying managers/buddies to crowbar in their terrible ideas and we’ve spent the last 12 of 13 years paying for it. How are we supposed to believe that you guys know how to get us out of this hole? Not to mention, didn’t you do an forensic audit a little while ago that was supposed to figure all of this stuff out?

"The key thing is the way our team started to play again. When we made the coaching change I thought the team started to play well. We slipped again. Some of the moves we've made have not worked." -Nicholson on the tipping point #Oilers

Some of the moves haven’t worked? How about every single swing that you allowed Peter Chiarelli to take over the last 18 months? The guy has spent more money and assets to build a flawed team than anyone could have ever imagined! But, you know what, I’m going to let that go. Today is a new day and a new era and I’m not going to focus on all the weird transactions Chiarelli made in his time here. I’m going to focus on the future. Let’s get back to Peter Chiarelli and his reaction when you finally told him the news.

"He was disappointed. He really felt that he let the organization down." -Nicholson on Chiarelli being surprised or not #Oilers

"Peter really came in here and wanted to get a heavier team and I thought he did a good job in that, but the game is changing. Speed and skill is a big part of the game today. But as I look at this today, character is going to be a big thing." -Nicholson #Oilers

Much like the organization itself, Peter Chiarelli was stuck in a mindset that worked almost a decade ago and he didn’t do anything to adapt to what’s happening in the new NHL. He wanted to get heavier while the rest of the league was getting faster, and it cost them dearly. Then again, maybe he was the perfect fit for an organization that is forever stuck in the past. Speaking of which, Nicholson was asked about the Old Boys Club and whether or not it makes sense to fire the GM when everything else is still the same.

"I'm into three and a half years into my role and I hear it all the time. It's the old guard and the Oilers of the 80s that are making the decisions and that's not true at all. Peter Chiarelli was the GM and POHO." -Nicholson on the OBC reputation #Oilers

To be fair, Bob, you have to understand why the fans and world, in general, think this way. The Oilers are notorious for bringing their buddies into the mix whether it makes sense or not, and I don’t think that’s going to change until an overhaul is done at every level. To put it another way, there are a lot of guys that have been promoted into jobs that may or may not actually exist and there lies the rub.

"It's a perception that's out there and I can tell all the fans that it's not true." -Nicholson on the OBC being in control #Oilers

I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one, because I have a hard time believing that those former players don’t have any say in what’s going on in the hockey side of the business. You can tell me that Kevin Lowe is focused on community development or whatever it is that he does and that Craig MacTavish is scouting from the road something, but I don’t buy it. I’d like to, but I don’t.

ON FINDING A NEW GM

Obviously, with Peter Chiarelli out of a job the Oilers are in need of a new GM, and I was happy to hear Nicholson say that they’re going to take their time. Will they stick to that plan? Time will tell, but at least he said all the right things in regards to finding a new guy.

"Keith is going to be the key point person for it but it will be a (group effort)" -Nicholson on Gretzky making trades #Oilers

I don’t know what that means for the trade deadline and the weeks leading up to that eventual hire, we’ll go through that together, but I would really appreciate if he could stick to his word and actually put in the time needed to get this right. I just wish I knew what getting it right actually means. When asked about what kind of GM he’d be looking for, Nicholson admitted that it’s still too early in the process to make that call.

"It's too early to define that (search) right now. We're going to look for someone who can really assess talent. I want to stress that we feel that our draft picks over the last few years have been really good." -Nicholson on the search for the next GM #Oilers

Did anyone else burst out laughing at the “assess talent” line he dropped because it was clear that this was not a priority when they hired the last guy. Just me? Either way, I have some major concerns that talent assessment came up in this presser because that’s been an issue in almost every trade that Peter Chiarelli has made. To me, that tells me that there are more problems with this team than the one they just removed.

"That's why were in no rush to find a general manager. We're going to look at every aspect of this organization. There's something in the water here that is not right." -Nicholson on why organization can't get it right #Oilers

After laughing at Bob’s talent assessment line, I certainly didn’t expect to be cracking up again only a few moments later when Nicholson dropped my favourite line from the press conference and one that inspired a new shirt and countless jokes on Twitter. Something in the water, huh? Classic.

ON KOSKINEN’S NEW DEAL

One thing that was on everybody’s mind as a part of this firing was the new Mikko Koskinen contract that was signed on Monday and why the team would let a GM they were about to fire make that decision. Nicholson cleared that up by pointing to more crowdsourced decision making.

"Peter did not make that deal all by himself. This deal really started when we got together with our pro scouts in our meetings. We really believe in Mikko. We had to make a decision between him and Cam." -Nicholson on the Koskinen deal #Oilers

ON PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

Another important item that came up in the question period was when Bob was asked if the team would finally be changing their approach to player development. His answer actually gave me some hope.

"We're going to push back that we want our younger players to develop more in the American Hockey League. We bring them up a little bit too early. I think we need to leave them down there until they're overripe." -Nicholson on player development #Oilers

I don’t know how many times this team has tried to force players into roles before they were ready but that’s a major issue that’s been going on for years. Going forward, if they change anything at all then I really hope it’s this one. I really hope they stick to the idea of allowing players to develop properly and not pushing them into the deep end before they’re able to swim. This change in thinking alone would make a monumental difference and I really hope they stick to it.

THE WRAP…

As I was listening to Bob Nicholson’s press conference, I often found myself drifting back to his season-ending presser where spoke at length about trusting Peter Chiarelli’s plan and how he deeply believed in it. He tried to sell us on the idea that Peter Chiarelli was a deep mind that “thinks through everything he does” and that his “very good relationship” with the other GMs was going to allow him to make the trades needed to turn things around, and none of that happened at all. As it turns out, Bob was wrong about every single thing that came out of his mouth back in April and I was very interested to see how he was going to talk himself out of this one.

As happy as I was to hear that the Oilers will be taking their time in the search for a new GM, I still have concerns that the people hiring this new GM are the same ones that brought in the previous regime and allowed it to cause a ruckus for three and a half seasons. The good news is that the pressure on management is as high as it will ever get, and I hope that they can use it to improve the way they make their choices because the old way was not working. At the end of the day, there is still plenty of work that needs to be done, but I can’t help but feel hopeful with the start of this new era. Then again, it’s fair to say that we’ve all been fooled before.

What did you guys think?

158 Comments |

Nicholson is just as big of ‘The Problem’ as PC was and will be for years to come. Time to clean house of KLowe, MacT, Howson, goalie coach Swartz etc. Until then this team will never make the playoffs let alone really be taken seriously. They might actually finish dead last this year with Connor.

BM took a humorous approach to this article. This doorknob actually thinks this is going to appease the paying customers? Again softballs lobbed by the MSM. All should have been in attack mode. I could be wrong, but I dont think they are going to be able to hoodwink the paying public yet again, never mind attracting players and managers here. Those who were the problem are still here and have probably been given more authority. Surprised he kept a straight face , telling that bold faced outright lie.

He’s stubborn and probably actually still believes things can change. But everyone outside of Edmonton knows otherwise. I for one can’t stand him and think he’s just as big of a problem as PC and the Good Ole Boys Club.

Him saying they believe they can still make the playoffs was the turning point for me. This team is not even close to playoff ready. I doubt he even watches any games? There is no playoffs for atleast 2 more years. Book it.

Apologies if this had already been stated, I haven’t read all the comments yet…
The worst part was when Bobby Burger said he needs to find someone who fits the culture. Say what??? The culture is the problem!!!! Don’t hire someone who fits the culture (re: OBC), he needs to find someone who can change the culture!!!! This organization has been unhealthy for years and unless the culture is changed things wont get any better. How can he not see this???

“Peter did not make that deal all by himself. This deal really started when we got together with our pro scouts in our meetings. We really believe in Mikko. We had to make a decision between him and Cam.”

No you didn’t!! Not on January 22nd! This quote proves the problem goes beyond Chiarelli, and thus, that his firing changes nothing. Fire them all!

Ralph is busy over in England running a Premier League soccer team. He’s the CHAIRMAN of Southampton FC (a soccer/football club worth much more than the Oilers). He’s hit it big in a whole other sport; guess his eye for talent isn’t limited to just hockey.

By then he will be somewhere else. What a colossal farce. There is something in the water. LOL. There is something in the wine and the guy who said it should be long gone too, not in front of a mic trying to polish this turd.

“I’m into three and a half years into my role and I hear it all the time. It’s the old guard and the Oilers of the 80s that are making the decisions and that’s not true at all. Peter Chiarelli was the GM and POHO.” -Nicholson on the OBC reputation #Oilers

Then minutes later Burger Bob says

“Peter did not make that deal all by himself. This deal really started when we got together with our pro scouts in our meetings. We really believe in Mikko. We had to make a decision between him and Cam.” -Nicholson on the Koskinen deal #Oilers

They cannot even lie to the fans without putting their foot into there mouths.

While the idea of a house-cleaning is good and I love a good conspiracy… The more parsimonious way to think of the “group” Koskinen decision is that PC has his GM pants taken away and needed a group green light for the signing. This being a group decision does not mean that every decision was/is.

Exactly! Its 100% reasonable to question the same old voices at the table from the OBC. However, I think its important to ask if the overpays, the lopsided trades, the poor cap management, the NMC sweeteners happen without Chiarelli? For me, I don’t think so. He has a reputation that existed pre-Oilers. The approach he took in Boston was the same approach he took in Edmonton. Like Johnny Cash’s voice, Chiarelli’s entire body of work is distinct and immediately recognizable. I don’t like the OBC and the giant distraction that they are either, but to a competent GM that is all they would amount to, a minor distraction. If Chia required the group to make the decision on Koskinen, he is not a competent GM.

What I find a bit funny is the reaction of Oilers fans to the presser and how pissed off fans are.

Nicholson came out and said they think they can make the playoffs which pissed off the fans. The Oilers are 3 points out so they have chance. The goal of EVERY TEAM is to make the playoffs. So the fact he said that shouldn’t piss anyone off. That’s supposed to be the goal every year.

Nicholson said the team needs work, they need to improve but he didn’t go and trash the team. So people are pissed. What exactly did anyone expect? Did fans seriously think he was going to come out and say “We have Conner, Leon, Nuge and the rest are absolutely useless”.

I get people are pissed, I am pissed off too but the fans of this team are at times just ridiculous.

I think that even if McDavid can put the team on his back, they go on a hot streak, and squeak into the playoffs, it’s clear to everyone that this team doesn’t have the depth to win a round (unless they get some Dwayne Roloson-esque goaltending).

The fans are frustrated that they’ve only been able to enjoy 1 good year out of the past 13, and apart from 3 players (who the GM inherited), the team is hot garbage AND they’re capped out. But Bobby Nicks, MacT, Howson, and K Lowe all have jobs. So that’s cool…

I expected someone to ask why this took so long when the evidence of Chiarelli’s poor decisions have been on display for months if not years.

I expected someone to ask, when nearly every team was going with speed and quickness, Pete went with heavy. How did most other GM’s in the league figure out the trend and the Oilers didn’t? The league didn’t just shift to speed, Peter and the rest of the executive totally misread things. Is it not the GM’s job to have vision?

I expected honesty (I know – asking a lot). If “The decision was made before last night” as Bob Nicks said, why was Koskinen signed to such a poorly-timed, high priced contract with such a small sample size of games?

Let’s be honest here…the intelligent commenters and bloggers on this site have pointed out the bad trades, poor talent evaluation, and horrible management for years. And they paid Pete millions and watched as he made poor decision after poor decision, inflating the teams cap with no accountability until last night?

The Griffin Reinhart deal ALONE was enough evidence that he (or whoever convinced him to do it) was so far out to lunch regarding evaluation of talent. It’s was as bad as drafting Alex Plante FF$.

And now when Bobby Burger stands in front of a mic and says they are going to take their time and hire the right guy we are supposed to buy that BS? he has proven he CAN”T hire the right guy. He just sat back and watched Chia dig deeper. The circus is staying it appears.

I think the fans were more than patient. I think if this happened to any team, they would have had enough. Imagine you have been rebuilding since 2007, you finally get a key player like McDavid and the GM trades all your old talent. Then overpays for a whole bunch of players that might be better suited to the AHL. Then years go by and we still support them. Oiler fans are loyal and this was unprecedented stupidity. What else can we do other than complain? The Oilers aren’t far off a playoff spot because of three players. Imagine if they had a real GM earlier? Even a week would have saved them the Koskinen signing. This was way overdue and the fact that they claim to be listening to the fans is a slap in the face. The fans have been upset for years. They did it now because Bob is useless.

Too little to late for me, I am no longer an Oiler fan and will never again support this organization. With the best person possible for the roll (which they wont get) this is 4 years minimum from being a regular playoff team. I’m not financially supporting these clowns with one more cent. I’ll always follow and cheer McDavid and that’s it. Good luck and best wishes.

Ditto, most of the memorabilia went to the basement when Lucic decided his friendships are more important than the team in the LA game, but then again, thats the way his bosses run the business. Keeping any of these idiots on staff is the final straw. Anybody who thinks anything is going to change, have not been paying attention, the status quo remains. I cannot cheer for another team, so I will cheer for McDavid to ask for a trade and then I can change allegiance.

What an embarrassment. He answers one question by saying the old boys club aren’t making any decisions and they only keep K. Lowe around for his leadership, then he answers another question about interim trades by saying decisions will be a group effort. I’ve always thought I’d feel better when they finally got rid of Chia, but I actually feel worse now that it seems clear that everyone involved has no idea what they’re doing.

“There’s something in the water here that’s just not right”… but they’ve only kicked out one of the guys who’s been farting in the hot tub for years.

Firing Chiarelli last night actually makes sense. If the did it a day or 2 earlier, the players would be stuck answering media questions where they would undoubtedly say it was their fault for not performing. They don’t need that a second time this season. Let them go on their break and come back with a clear mind. The media focus is now not in the players but on management and hopefully this will out them in a better position to come back strong in Feb.

The timing was good for a mid-season GM firing. But it should have been done at the end of last season. It will take considerable time to replace the 6-7 big/slow/heavy Bruinized players on this team and find suitable replacements that are fast, skilled, and good passers. Peter Chiarelli Brutal-ized this team and has spent near the salary cap. It will take some time.

So Koskanin was a group decision, but the Kevin Lowes and MAC-T’S of the world aren’t involved in decision making huh? So I have major doubts no matter who the full time gm will be if anything can change with who is still in management of this team!

As long as the uniformed fan base keeps showing up to games and blowing their money on this hapless franchise, nothing will change. They will keep sucking and Katz will keep cashing checks. Wake up people! Connor’s agents will eventually pressure him into demanding a trade. Clock is ticking but management is too obtuse to figure much of anything out. Winning? What’s that?? Oh yeah more 1st overall picks!

Who was the guy who kept commenting from day 1 of the hire of PC that he was ‘an incompetent’? Whoever you were, you were dead on. I was in the camp of give this guy a chance. He had succeded elsewhere… It was the return for Hall that drilled it home for me that this guy was poison.

Of course, he made so many obviously poor decisions that, after a certain point, isn’t it really more the fault of the clowns signing off on those moves?

I was one of the few that did not like the hiring, he stripped down Boston badly and it took them a while to recover. He’s done far more damage here and the Oilers are screwed for next season and beyond too. There was more than one that hated the hiring, I thought maybe he could learn from past mistakes but it was more of a hope than anything.

I mentioned it numerous times Chiarelli was a bad hire and was scared outta my mind when he was hired he would do damage and I knew it would start with Hall and I have hated him for it and will forever hate him for it and never forgive him for it. What a clown.

When Chia was hired, TSN did a video profile/interview of each Canadian GM. I watched the Treliving one & the Chia one. My only thought was that there’s no way this boob can compete with GMs like Treliving. Polar opposite impressions. Maybe those videos are out there. Give them a watch and see what I mean.